Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs and Spaghetti

By carvalhohm

A fabulous new twist on an old favorite! Mozzarella tucked inside each meatball creates a forkful of flavor. Kids of all ages will dig in!

Ingredients

• 4 sticks mozzarella string cheese, cut into 18 (3/4-inch) cubes
• 1/2 cup Progresso® Italian style bread crumbs
• 1 jar tomato pasta sauce, 48 ounces
• 1 1/2 pound lean (at least 80%) ground beef
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 egg
• 12 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 2/3 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 35mins
Cooking time 125mins
Adapted from bettycrocker.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place cheese cubes in small resealable freezer plastic bag; seal bag and freeze at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons of the pasta sauce. Stir in beef, onion, salt, oregano and egg. Shape mixture into 18 (2-inch) balls. Press 1 cheese cube into center of each ball, sealing it inside. Gently place in pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour remaining pasta sauce into 5-quart Dutch oven. Cover; heat to simmering over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Gently stir in meatballs; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center.

Meanwhile, cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package; keep warm.

Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

1 Serving (1 Serving)Calories 850(Calories from Fat 270),Total Fat 30g(Saturated Fat 11g,Trans Fat 1g),Cholesterol 125mg;Sodium 2050mg;Total Carbohydrate 99g(Dietary Fiber 6g,Sugars 25g),Protein 44g